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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25045921">The Mob Character</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/tryingsoul/pseuds/tryingsoul'>tryingsoul</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Eventual Romance, F/M, Reader-Insert, Romantic Fluff, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Esteem Issues</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 10:14:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,902</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25045921</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/tryingsoul/pseuds/tryingsoul</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The life of a mob character can be as ordinary as drinking water everyday but when you find out that you're more than a mob character in another person's story you'll realize that being a mob character may not be so bad after all.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bokuto Koutarou/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Mob Character and the Ace</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I had a dream last night about Bokuto so I decided to make a story about him. To all those mob characters out there, we are all awesome!</p><p>Enjoy human!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Y/N was nothing out of the ordinary. She was what you would call a mob character. Her looks are average. She has no talent in sports and arts. You’d expect that maybe she does well in her studies. Sad to say, she just failed two of her major subjects. That’s the very reason why she’s currently sitting on a bench inside their university’s gym – staring into nothing. You can’t really judge a person to be intelligent just because of a pair of glasses. </p><p>So, why tell a story about her, you ask? Because that’s how most people view themselves – a mob character, an ordinary person capable of blending in a crowd with no problem. </p><p>And there’s nothing wrong with that. </p><p>It’s more peaceful anyway. You don’t have to be that strong-willed character who’s blessed with a talent of leading a group to victory, a quiet yet cool girl who can solve mathematical problems without batting an eye, or a cute protagonist who can make a man fall in love with her smile.</p><p>Remember Y/N? I told you she was sitting on a bench inside a gym, right? Just add a volleyball match on the court and a huge crowd of university students seated on the benches around the gym all of them shouting incomprehensible sounds but we all know they’re just cheering for their favorite team – and the image is complete. </p><p>An hour ago, Y/N was in her major class. Their professor was about to give them their midterm results. Everyone was anxious. Most of them did not do good with their chapter exams so their midterm test was the only ray of hope for their grades. Some, those chosen few, were calmly sitting on their chair, confident that they passed. Some of those chosen few, however, were not calm. Though they are sure that they passed the exam, they were afraid of not getting a high mark. These smaller group of chosen few were really something.</p><p>Our protagonist was part of the first group. I told you she’s a mob character, right? She was anxious and afraid and extremely pessimistic. Technically, she did not fail yet. But to get a passing grade after failing the first half of the semester, a student needs to ace all the remaining chapter exams and final test. That’s close to impossible for a mob character. That only happens in movies and books. </p><p>What’s worse? Her other major subject was also under the same professor and he was known for giving difficult exams. </p><p>For a college student, this may be one of the worst things that can happen – failing two subjects. Our mob character’s miserable face was again nothing out of the ordinary. However, this was one of the times when Y/N may stand out of the crowd especially if the people around her are all excited with adrenaline rushing in their veins.  </p><p>The match between Chuo University and Waseda University – our mob character’s university – was a heated one. It was the third and final set and both universities already won a set. Score was 24 – 23 in favor of Waseda. This was supposed to be a practice match between the two powerhouse schools but somehow along the way it turned out to be closer to a tournament. </p><p>You would think that the whole gym would be cheering for the Waseda team but the shouts coming from the other side proved the opposite. Spectators were grouped based on the team they were supporting and nobody even told them to group themselves. On the left side of the gym were students of Waseda shouting things like ‘Go Waseda! Go! Go! GO!’ and on the right side were another group of Waseda students shouting ‘Beat them, Chou!’.</p><p>So much commotion in one picture. Now, imagine at the corner of the left side of the gym, a mob character who is not acting like the mob characters around her. Instead of shouting and cheering for Waseda, she was staring at nothing. Instead of thinking about how the other team caught up – both had scores of 24 – and how both teams had to get a two-point lead to win, she was thinking of ways on how to tell her parents about her grades.</p><p>Okay, I know what you’re thinking. What brings her at this very situation? You might not believe how absent-minded this little mob character can be. After her classes, Y/N walked around the university grounds to clear her mind and by clear, I mean Decide-On-A-Way-To-Get-Out-Of-This-Situation type of clear. Before she realized, she was already inside the gym. She went with the flow of students going inside to watch the game. This girl can be kidnapped in a second and only realize that when she’s already inside the car with a piece of cloth covering her mouth and ropes tying her hands. </p><p>Y/N continued with her thoughts, so I’ll do the honor of describing what’s happening around her at that moment. </p><p>By this time, Waseda called a time-out and both teams were huddled at their benches. A tall and muscular guy wearing the number 4 Waseda jersey was pulled at the side by another player who was a few centimeters shorter than him. He was probably number 4’s senior considering the way he acted toward him. He whispered something to number four before subtlety raising a finger to Y/N’s direction. But he was not pointing at our mob character. Needless to say, she was not someone you would notice in a crowd. Senior was pointing at a beautiful girl a few seats beside Y/N. Her black hair was neatly tied in a ponytail and was wearing one of those trendy miniskirts that showed more skin than necessary.</p><p>The taller player followed his senior’s finger but his golden eyes fell on our mob character’s face. Amidst all the excited faces on the crowd, one student was staring blankly into nothing and that somehow intrigued this man. </p><p>His senior whispered a few more things to him but all he did was nod inattentively. All he could think of at that moment was how to turn our mob character’s frown upside down.</p><p>If we won this game, I wonder if I’ll see her smile, number 4 thought before running back to his team.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Search</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>With his mind set on making our mob character smile, Bokuto tries to find her. Problem is, he knows nothing about her.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I really hope this can somehow brighten your day. I also hope that we all find our Bokuto, a person who would go to great lengths just to make a stranger smile.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bokuto Koutaro was a third-year college in Waseda University. After graduating high school, he was scouted to be part of the university’s volleyball team. Out of the number of schools that offered him a scholarship to be part of their volleyball team, Bokuto chose Waseda since it was the nearest from their house. </p><p>First two years of being an economics student was not something that he would call the perfect college life. But those were memorable experiences. He found a lot of good friends in the university, both in his volleyball team and batchmates. The Waseda volleyball team was known for its rigorous trainings but Bokuto was able to keep up. He was, after all, one of the top five aces in the country when he was in high school. </p><p>And he just proved his worth once again to the team when he scored the last point that led them to victory against Waseda University on their practice match. Though, it became more of a real match than just practice. Before they realize, the whole gym was full of spectators cheering the two teams. The game ended 26 – 28.</p><p>It did not take long for the gym to be deserted just minutes after the game. After thanking Chou University for practicing with them, all of them headed to the locker rooms to change or shower. Since Bokuto’s house was near the school, he decided to just change and go home. </p><p>University life was far from over even at six in the evening. Some of the students had classes as late as ten o’clock. As the May sun started to set, Bokuto’s mind went back to thinking about our little mob character. He saw her went out of the gym with the same gloomy expression. Now, all he can think of that time was how to make her smile. </p><p>And it was not even because he liked her.</p><p>The problem was he had no idea what our mob character’s name was or what department she belonged. </p><p> </p><p>“So you have no idea what her name is or even her course?” A black-haired man asked Bokuto. </p><p>They were sitting in a corner of their university’s cafeteria. Kuroo Tetsuroo was happily eating his grilled salted mackerel pike across the table. He was wearing a white NASA hoodie – the one you will find in H&amp;M stores.</p><p>Bokuto heaved a sigh before he shook his head as an answer. The burger he just bought remained untouched in front of him. Kuroo was eyeing it as he bit the last piece of mackerel on his plate. But he decided that his friend’s predicament came first. </p><p>This was the first time Kuroo saw his friend act like this outside the court. He was mostly optimistic regardless of the situation. He was never interested in girls in the first place, so how can he be so down after seeing a girl who just watched them practice?</p><p>“Do you remember what she was wearing?” Kuroo asked another question. </p><p>That caught Bokuto’s attention. He felt so stupid for not considering this one detail. He shot an excited look on Kuroo. “She was wearing a black and yellow shirt that seemed to be one of our university’s department shirts!” he exclaimed.</p><p>His friend let out a laugh as he saw the energy on Bokuto’s face. It was probably the first time that day that he showed a little enthusiasm. “Don’t get too excited. You might jinx it.”</p><p>“The shirt was mostly yellow except for the edges of the sleeves and its collar,” Bokuto said with a finger on his forehead. He was trying so hard to remember the details of the shirt with eyes closed. “Oh! There was also a black logo at the right side,” he continued.</p><p>“I’ll call you tonight. I’m sure I can find it within the day.”</p><p>The doubt in Bokuto’s face was so evident that Kuroo hit his head to get rid of that expression. </p><p>“But there are around 30 departments in our school,” Bokuto whispered but Kuroo heard every word he said. “And each department changes their shirt every year.”</p><p>“Are you seriously saying that to me?” A smirk formed on Kuroo’s face before he continued. “Who do you think I am?”</p><p>That was enough to bring back the enthusiasm on Bokuto’s eyes. </p><p>By this time, you might probably be thinking that our mob character just had another person take interest in her. On top of that, it was none other than the ace of the volleyball team – a team that was considered as a powerhouse in their region. </p><p>She’s a mob character, alright. Even if it was her own story, she was still a mob character. But, you see, we’re not only seeing her own story here.  </p><p> </p><p>It was already ten in the evening and Bokuto was calmly looking at his phone. His books and notes were neatly piled at the side of his table. All of his reports were finished an hour ago. He could’ve slept at this time but that was the last thing he wanted to do. There was no single call from Kuroo since they separated at the cafeteria. </p><p>A minute after, his phone rang. The sound, however, did not make Bokuto jump out of his bed to reach his phone at the table. He picked it up like he wasn’t waiting for it to ring. Kuroo’s face popped on his screen when he turned the video chat option.</p><p>“Oya oya?” Kuro said with teasing eyes. “Were you waiting for my call? Thought I wouldn’t make it on time? Oh, you’re hair’s down.”</p><p>Bokuto stared at him with an annoyed face.</p><p>“I know you were waiting,” he laughed. “And it was not in vain!”</p><p>Kuro showed him the screen of his laptop. On it was a picture of a group of students in front of the School of Education and they were wearing the exact shirt that our mob character wore. He zoomed in the picture to show the logo embedded on the right side of the shirt. School of Commerce was written in bold white letters.<br/>
“You thought it was the School of Education but it was actually the School of Commerce!” he announced happily, As usual, he looked so proud of himself.</p><p>Bokuto tried to hide the happiness on his face but he failed. There was no way he can fool Kuroo into believing that he wasn’t a bit interested on what he just said.</p><p>“Know what else I found out?” Kuroo asked while moving his eyebrows up and down.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“This was their department shirt last year. Sooooooo” he replied dramatically. “The girl you’re so interested in can only be a second-year student or up. Unless she has an older sister and she borrowed her shirt.”</p><p> </p><p>The next day, Bokuto made a little side tour at the School of Commerce’s library hoping to run into our mob character. But life wasn’t as easy as that. Of course, he did not see her or even have an opportunity to talk to her. Otherwise, this story is going to be over immediately. </p><p>Two weeks passed. He made it a routine to check the library and the lobby of the SOC’s building at least once a day. Bokuto stayed for at most an hour. Though, if he had more time he stayed longer. By this time, Bokuto was losing the last ray of hope he had. It was expected that he wouldn’t find her immediately. Their school was huge and there are hundreds of students every department. </p><p>But as they say, the moment that you feel like giving is the moment when you are the closest to your goal. This guy deserves an award for going to great lengths just to make a person smile. </p><p>It was Friday. Since Bokuto’s class ended earlier than expected, he spent his remaining time in the SOC’s library. It was deserted as usual. He sat at a table near the counter of the librarian. He picked up a book about basic accounting and a piece of paper fell from it. In front of the paper was an exam result. The owner’s name was smudged with what seems like droplets of water, so it was hard to read. The score was way below the passing rate. At the back was a short story written in cursive. Just like a normal person, Bokuto read the story.</p><p>
  <i>‘Come on’, the girl urged her beautiful friend. ‘You should thank him for saving you.’<br/>
The beautiful friend looked at the person who saved them, her eyes full of gratitude and admiration. She bowed deeply as she softly said thank you. The two ladies started to walk away when the man who saved them called out.<br/>
‘How about you?’ he asked the other lady – the one who was not beautiful, the one who was never admired by other people. ‘Aren’t you going to thank me?’<br/>
The ordinary girl looked at him and said, ‘But you wouldn’t have saved me without my friend. It was her whom you wanted to save. I just happened to be there.’<br/>
With that they went home.<br/>
The man was left standing. ‘If only you know,’ he said as a sad smile crossed his face.<i></i></i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Low self-esteem can be a scary thing, Bokuto thought. If there was one thing that he feels bad about, it’s how a lot of people find it hard to be confident in their selves. He should know how awful that feels.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>But these thoughts came into a halt when Bokuto saw the girl talking to the librarian. The girl handed a book to the librarian. She was wearing a plain blue blouse, jeans, and a pair of sneakers. She adjusted her glasses as she leaned down to write something on a piece of paper that the librarian gave her. That’s our mob character, alright. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Before Bokuto can gather the courage the talk to her, Y/N was already reaching the knob of the door of the library. Guess, the ace chickened out at the last minute.   </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>But hope was not entirely lost. He stood up and went to the librarian. For some reason, his heart was beating so fast. This kind of thing only happens when he’s at the climax of a match and not when he’s asking for a person’s name in the middle of the library. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>The librarian was busy typing something on the computer when Bokuto came. Her stern face scowled when a ping was heard after she pressed enter on the keyboard. The counter was bigger than Bokuto thought. At the back were rows of books that seemed to be feasibility studies and theses of students who took up post-graduate courses. At the left were piles of books with library cards sticking out. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Excuse me?” Bokuto said when the librarian was still unaware of his presence.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>She peered at him over the top of her glasses with narrowed eyes. “How can I help you, young man? You don’t seem to be a student of this department.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Bokuto avoided her gaze. “Um – I would like to ask a question, ma’am.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Yet, you are here everyday,” the librarian continued, completely ignoring Bokuto’s answer. “How can I help you?”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>The strict look of the librarian became more unbearable when she mentioned that Bokuto was not a student of this department and that she was probably thinking of him as a stalker. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Young man, I do not have all day.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i> It must have been quite a while before Bokuto recovered from the shock.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i> “Oh, u-um, I would like to ask the name of the girl who just returned a book a while ago.” Bokuto said.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>The librarian raised an eyebrow at him. That is definitely not something you ask from a librarian. “This is not a dating site, you know,” she snapped. But her eyes somewhat lightened up. Before Bokuto could reply, she stood up, went to the pile of books at the left corner, and picked the book at the top of the pile. She went back and handed a thin worn-out book to Bokuto, a smile was now on her face. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“She’s the last one who borrowed this book. She was also the very first one who borrowed this after 50 years,” she said as Bokuto opened the book to look at the last page. A library card was inserted in a brown pocket envelope attached on the page. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Written in cursive was Y/N’s name. The date this book was borrowed before Y/N was September 20, 1970.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Do you know when she will be back, ma’am?” Bokuto asked as he closed the book. The desperation on his voice must have been so obvious because the librarian let out a small giggle. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Young man, I have no idea how you met Y/N. She’s not the kind of person who can make a lot of friends. So, why are you interested in her?”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>The ace’s ears started to get red and, soon after, the heat spread on his face painting it red. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>When all Bokuto was able to say were incoherent words of trying to defend himself, the librarian continued. “You’re waiting for her at the wrong place. She just visits the library once or twice a week and she stops by here before going to her part-time job. That’s where she is everyday.” She was still amused at this young man’s flustered face but she was able to keep herself from smiling. Youth, she thought to herself.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Is it okay to ask where…she’s working?” Bokuto asked hesitantly, unsure if he can ask such information. When the librarian continued staring at him, he added, “I-I promise I’m not a stalker or a bully or a bad person in general!” He raised a hand defensively. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“It’s not like she’s keeping her part-time job a secret. But you still haven’t answered my question. Why are you interested in her?” Her gaze landed on the logo of Waseda’s volleyball team embedded on the university jacket that Bokuto was wearing. “You’re an athlete, right?”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>The last question was stereotypical of people to think about athletes. She was implying that athletes are popular among girls and would prefer to date cute and beautiful ones. Even Bokuto who was not that interested in girls was aware of it. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“I just want her to smile,” he answered in a low voice. It was not like he fell in love with our mob character the moment he saw her. But, for some reason, he just wanted her to smile.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Two blocks from this university, there’s a small library with a wooden brown door and glass windows. It’s hard to find since it looks like an old, rundown apartment. They don’t even have a name outside. That’s where she’s working. But since today is Friday, I think she will only be there until eight.” </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Volleyball practice ends at 8:30 in the evening that day and the librarian was well aware of the time that university athletes practice. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“But you have her name already, right?” she said. “With those social media – what do you call it? I mean, you can just send her a chat in Messager or something, right?”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>At this moment, Bokuto’s respect for this librarian just increased a hundred-fold. He never knew that a librarian can be a great counselor, too.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i> “Now, scram,” she said with a smile on her face before Bokuto could say a proper thank you. “Just make sure that her smile reaches her eyes.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“I will,” Bokuto beamed.</i>
  </i>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Dream</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Our mob character, just like any other ordinary person, also had a dream.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter is a really short one but I still hope you enjoy this one.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Y/N was never interested in books. But stories, now that’s something she loved. Not all books hold a story and not all stories are written in books. That was how she came to love writing. Every time some idea forms in her mind, she would write it in any paper she could find. She created a lot of tiny these worlds in numerous pieces of paper. But nobody knew about these stories.</p><p>And she planned to keep it that way until a single message made sure of the opposite. </p><p>
  <i>‘I read your story.’ <i></i></i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i></i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i></i>
  </i>
</p><p>Our mob character had no idea who sent the message. The person’s username was See More Glass.</p><p>‘You must have the wrong person. My name is a common one.’ </p><p>‘It was inserted in a basic accounting book in the SOC library.’ </p><p>Y/N made sure that she got all the papers she inserted in books she borrowed before returning them. When she did not reply, the stranger sent her a picture – on it was her story written in her own handwriting and if she remembered clearly, it was written at the back of her exam result, one that she failed.</p><p>‘It’s a sad story. It’s beautiful but sad.’ </p><p>‘It’s reality,’ Y/N replied</p><p>‘But it doesn’t have to be the ending.’ </p><p>‘That would depend on the characters.’ </p><p>‘Not the author?’ </p><p>‘That’s what I thought at first, too. But writing is giving life to the characters and you’ll realize they want to live their life on their own.’ </p><p>Our mob character quickly regretted her response. She thought she sounded absurd.</p><p>‘I’m sorry. That did not make any sense. Please forget it,’ she replied immediately.</p><p>‘It’s not weird.’  The reply came in faster than she thought.  ‘May I ask something?’ </p><p>‘Yes.’</p><p>‘Did the guy who saved the two girls loved the ordinary one?’</p><p>‘No.’</p><p>‘Then what was the last line about?’ </p><p>This was the first time that our mob character talked to anyone about her story. </p><p>‘He pitied her. The guy thought that she was unfortunate to be born an ordinary, uninteresting girl. At the same time, he was grateful – very grateful – that he was not born like her. Pity is one of the worst things you can show a person and if the girl knew how much the world pities people like her, she would be more miserable than she already was.’</p><p>Y/N braced herself for the stranger’s retort. She was quite sure that this person would disagree with her. Our mob character had been told countless times that she was too pessimistic, but people mostly fail to notice the reality in every pessimistic view of a person.</p><p>‘Is that what the characters think? Or is that something that you believe in?’</p><p>Before she read the stranger’s reply, she was sure that that was what the characters thought. But now, she was considering the possibility that maybe it was her who thought of these things and not the characters of the story.</p><p>‘I will finish the story. I want to find out, too.’ </p><p>‘That’s what I want to hear. May I read it after you finish writing it?’</p><p>Y/N once dreamt of being a writer. Guess, our mob character already has one reader waiting.</p><p>She replied yes and the thought of writing almost made her smile.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Library</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>As Bokuto continues his plan on making our mob character smile, he visits a run-down library a few blocks away from their university.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey, guys. I started writing in AO3 last month after my mother was discharged from the hospital. It made me forget - even for a little while - all our problems. Now, my mother was admitted again to the hospital and everything just seems hopeless. The mob character was a little bit based on my experiences and Bokuto was a character that (maybe?) I was unconsciously hoping to have in my life. I don't know when I can update this story. I really would like to finish this.</p><p>I hope this brightens up your day. Thank you for reading this.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a gloomy Sunday – at least that was what the weather wanted to convey. Clouds were getting darker and so was Bokuto’s confidence. Having butterflies in his stomach would be an understatement to what he was feeling.</p><p>He was standing outside a library with wooden brown doors and glass windows. It took him almost an hour to find this run-down library. There was no name – just as the librarian said. Bokuto wanted to come inside and get this anxiety over with. His feet, however, had other plans. He was just being extremely nervous.</p><p>You can do this – he recited this mantra in his head while walking in circles outside the library, hands in his pockets. Really, it is quite a sight to see the ace being this apprehensive. He tried to get rid of all his worries and finally reached for the door when, suddenly, it opened by itself.</p><p>Technically, it did not open by itself but for Bokuto, it sure did look that way until a head popped out from behind. The woman had droopy eyes, though he was not sure if it was due to lack of sleep or just plain annoyance.</p><p>“We can see you, you know?” she said, hands pointing on the window. “All of us can see you walking back and forth.”</p><p>She’s probably annoyed. Bokuto followed where she was pointing and true enough, he could see the heads of the people inside turning to look at him through the glass window. Most of them, however, already had their eyes fixed on him. The middle-aged woman – probably in her late thirties – opened the door wider.</p><p>“If you want to come in then please come in. Don’t just stay outside and loiter around. You look weird,” she said with no hesitation, though her voice went from being annoyed to showing pity.</p><p>“I-I’m sorry. I wasn’t sure if this was the one I was looking for.”</p><p>Which is a lie because he obviously knew this was the one.</p><p>“That’s more reason why you should go inside. You should ask.” By this time, the lady was judging Bokuto with narrowed eyes. He thought she was going to make another retort but instead she walked inside and Bokuto, as a respectful young man, followed her.</p><p>Bokuto Koutaro was no expert in libraries. The only ones he visited were those in his schools and university. He did not take much notice of how listless those libraries were with their pale bulletin boards and plain interior until he stepped inside this place.</p><p>This library had a high ceiling – an abstract painting of brown colors ranging from brunette, cinnamon, tortilla, umber, mocha, cedar, and russet covering it. Tables were arranged at the center and at the end of the hallway was a staircase that separated at the middle. Both the first and the second floors were lined with wooden bookshelves carved with intricate markings. Its floor was decorated with elongated diamond patterns in lighter shades of brown. </p><p>Inside were around twenty people who were probably on their early thirties to early sixties. Everyone was already minding their own business when Bokuto went in. It was a library, after all.</p><p>“If you want to ask anything just go to the counter,” the lady pointed at the left side of the library. </p><p>“Thank you very much, ma’am.” Bokuto followed the lady’s instruction and went to the counter at the far left side. She was expecting a stern woman sitting behind a computer just like the librarian in the SOC library. Somehow, his mind made it a default for librarians to look this way.</p><p>You might have already guessed it but, yes, he saw the exact opposite of what his mind imagined. Behind the counter was a woman with the calmest expression that Bokuto ever saw. She was reading a book, legs crossed. The upper half of the cover page was blue while the lower half was red. It looked like the flag of the Philippines minus the stars and sun. Written in thin but large white letters was 'Nine Stories by J. D. Salinger'. Her long skirt matched the colors of the book with its dark pink and blue hydrangea patterns running along its lower half. Unlike the librarian in SOC whose hair was neatly tied in a bun, this woman's wavy hair was resting on her right shoulder but not tied. </p><p>Unlike the SOC librarian, she noticed Bokuto almost immediately. </p><p>"What can I do for you?" she asked without putting her book down. "You do not look like our usual customer here, " she said lightly. “You don’t even look like you read.”</p><p>Bokuto did not need a second reminder that he doesn't look like he goes to a library. </p><p>"I'm actually looking for someone," he replied, heart beating wildly. "She works a part time job here. Her name's Y/N." </p><p>And as if on cue, all heads turned to his direction - at least those who heard him. Bokuto could hear the sound of chairs moving and books closing. The middle-aged women along with some older ladies started approaching him like he said something that he shouldn't say. </p><p>"What's your business with Y/N?" one of them asked in a threatening tone. </p><p>"She's not here, you know?" another one said. </p><p>"Maybe he's here to bully her. Y/N's being bullied in school!" an older lady announced. </p><p>That was when a tall man around 50 years old who was an inch or two taller than Bokuto walked up to him, looked at him with narrowed eyes and furrowed brows, and said in a grumpy voice, "Are you the one bullying, Y/N?" </p><p>This was all too much for Bokuto to take. Imagine a group of older people ganging up on you and for something that you didn't even do. </p><p>The calm librarian giggled behind Bokuto. She stood up. Amidst all the people standing around him, she was probably the shortest. </p><p>"Let's give the young man a chance to explain," she said calmly. All heads turned at her and the tall man gave a sigh. </p><p>"Fine," he said. </p><p>"I'm...I just want to talk to Y/N. I swear I'm not bullying her or anything."</p><p>"Are you her friend?" the calm librarian asked.</p><p>"No."</p><p>"Her relative?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>"Oh! Maybe classmate! Maybe he's Y/N's classmate!" an excited old lady shouted at the back.</p><p>Bokuto shook his head. Now, all of them were frowning at him. He did not expect to be interrogated inside a library. He came unprepared and it was a matter of seconds before he was accused of being a bad person. Luckily, none of them made another remark. They were all waiting for Bokuto’s explanation.</p><p>The ace cleared his throat. The anxiety happily occupying his mind was replaced by something he can’t explain but it made his face heat up. “I want to become her friend.”</p><p>The room became quiet and nobody dared to disturb the silence. The faint sound of the air conditioner made up for the absence of noise. The other people inside the library continued with their reading.</p><p>It was the librarian who spoke first. “As you can see, she’s not here. She’s been working here for three months. All of us know Y/N and she have never mentioned about having a friend in her university or neighborhood that are of her age. Surprisingly, she has a lot of friends that are way older than her.”</p><p>“Depending on your answer, we will have to ask you to leave,” the tall man said.</p><p>All these questions and the way they were treating Bokuto never made him angry or annoyed. On the contrary, he felt relieved. Knowing that there were people who cared for our mob character this much almost made Bokuto smile.</p><p>“I want to make her smile,” Bokuto said.</p><p>You don’t hear that everyday in a library frequently visited by middle-aged adults and older people. That earned different reactions from them. Some gave him a smile, some raised an eyebrow, and there were a few who blinked a couple of times before gaping at him. </p><p>“Do you know why I said you don’t look like you read?” the librarian asked him, her eyes had a hint of excitement in them. “It was because your eyes do not brighten up when you look at books.”</p><p>“Y/N was the same,” an old lady said.</p><p>“Yeah, I remembered the first time she went here. Her face was blank. She just started walking to a bookshelf, pulled out a book, and started reading.”</p><p>The librarian nodded to all these testimonies. “Yes, she did not look happy while looking at the books but when she started reading, you can see her eyes smiling. If you noticed, there are no young people in our library.” She raised her hand to the center of the hall. “Considering the way our library looks like from the outside, it is not a surprising matter.”</p><p>“Imagine our shock when Y/N came inside one day,” the tall man snorted.</p><p>Bokuto listened to all of them intently like an obedient grandchild listening to his grandparents’ stories. Friendly reminder that all of them were still standing by the librarian counter. </p><p>“She ignored the run-down door and dilapidated windows of this library and went inside. What’s more is she enjoyed visiting here. It’s like having a daughter or granddaughter visit you and talk with you,” another lady in her forties said.</p><p>The librarian patted Bokuto’s shoulder. “I know we sound like we are overreacting. But Y/N is very important to us and right now she’s going through a very tough time. If you just want to make fun of her, then please leave. She’s got enough on her plate already,” she said calmly but her words were threatening.</p><p>Bokuto remembered Y/N’s face when he first saw her. She seemed like she was carrying the burden of the world on her shoulders but she was far from crying. If anything, she looked like she was about to throw the white towel any time. Maybe that was what urged Bokuto to want to cheer her up. </p><p>Now, every time he learned a little about our mob character, the ace couldn’t help but be more interested. Still, it wasn’t because of love.</p>
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